


A Letter, Being From Elros Tar-Minyatur to His Brother Elrond Peredhel

by SemperAeternumQue



Category: The Silmarillion and other histories of Middle-Earth - J. R. R. Tolkien
Genre: Gen, I don't know, Implied/Referenced Character Death, Letters, Sad, very sad, why can't i write happy things
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-05-06
Updated: 2019-05-06
Packaged: 2020-02-27 01:23:27
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,084
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18728839
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SemperAeternumQue/pseuds/SemperAeternumQue
Summary: A letter from King Elros Tar-Minyatur to his brother Elrond Peredhel, written on the eve of his death and later transcribed by a junior scribe of the Gondorian Archives.





	A Letter, Being From Elros Tar-Minyatur to His Brother Elrond Peredhel

**Author's Note:**

> Soooo, this is my first work on AO3! I am VERY VERY excited and also very nervous. Everyone here seems very kind, but still, putting a work out there is scary! This is not the first work of fanfiction I've written, but it's the first that I'm posting to any archive and among the first I would consider posting. It seems a little ironic that my first work posted is from the perspective of a character who's dying.
> 
> Anyways, thanks go to Spacewall and Factorialrabbits for inspiring me to start writing with their amazing works, and I hope you enjoy this! Comments, kudos, flames, I take any sort of review. I would prefer constructive criticism, but if you really do want to flame, I'm happy to have even that bit of feedback. If you're feeling especially kind, then I'd like to see your thoughts on the way it's been presented as a transcription of a historical document, especially the bits marked 'illegible'. This is an actual phenomenon in transcriptions of historical documents, these places where whoever was transcribing it was unable to make out what the word was, and I wanted to incorporate that. Please do let me know what you think!

_This letter was donated to the Gondorian Archives by Lord Elrond Peredhel as part of the Remembering King Elros Tar-Minyatur project. It appears to have been written on the eve of King Elros’ death as a last goodbye to his brother. What follows is a transcription of it by junior scribe Alfric, as the original document is so old as to be nearly illegible. Lord Elrond informs this scribe that ‘atto’ refers to Maglor Feanorion and ‘atar’ refers to Maedhros Feanorion, the foster parents of King Elros Tar-Minyatur. The Gondorian Archives apologizes for any places marked ‘illegible’ as the letter is very old and spotted with tears and we were not able to make out some words._

My dear brother,

I fear my time is running [illegible]. I will not dance around the subject: I am dying, Elrond. I am [illegible], and I fear I will not have the time to make all the goodbyes I wish to. I know you will sail to me as fast as you can, but if you do not arrive in time, I wish you to know these things.

Firstly, know you are forgiven. You never did any harm, but for a long time, I resented you for your choice. I have let go of that, Elrond. With this wisdom of age, I can see that it was never right to blame you for what you chose. I can only hope you do not [illegible] for my choice. Know I never wanted to leave you, but know this was the right choice for me.

Secondly, I wish you to know that I have forgiven our parents. [illegible] may have been kinslayers, but they were the best parents we ever had. I regret many times over the words we screamed in anger and pain. If only I could find Maglor, perhaps I could [illegible] amends with him at last. But time waits for no man, and I am old and have not the strength to seek him out. I know you seek him still, so if you find him, please, tell Atto I love him. Tell him he was the best parent I ever [illegible]. Tell him I regret every word of hate I ever spoke to him. Tell him…tell him I was happy. Tell him I lived a good life. Tell him that the only reason I regret this choice is that I will have to leave [illegible] you behind.

Ah, Elrond, you do not deserve this loss! You have lost the parent you loved the most and the only two homes you ever knew, and [illegible] force you to lose a brother as well. I am happy in my choice, but I wish I did not have to leave you so.

When we were young, we promised we would not leave each other. We [illegible] not swear it, as we knew of the Oath’s effects on our parents by then, but we promised, and it was as serious as any vow or oath. For perhaps the first time in my life, I will break a promise to you, my brother. Know that I love you, even if I can never understand your choice and you can never understand [illegible]. If I had changed my mind or been unwilling, I know you would have fought Eru himself to keep me here. But I am not unwilling. I am at peace, my brother.

Pia ilmanya, Atto used to call you! Little star of mine. It is a fitting name for you, as you burn [illegible] as any star and you will endure nearly as long as one. Atar scoffed at first, but he saw how you loved the nickname, and he adopted it too. [illegible] is proof of his love for you. You have lost so many people already, and I fear you will lose even more, but never forget you are loved. I love you. Atto loves you. Atar loves you. Never give up, little brother. You will see our fathers [illegible]. I may be beyond your reach, but I will be with you in the ways that matter.

Ai, I ramble again! Such is the way of an old man. For I am old, Elrond. I have aged as a mortal, and so has my mind. For all that Aunt Galadriel calls you wise beyond your years, you are young for [illegible]. I am old for a man, and already I feel the call of death. Do not fear, and do not cry, for this is a beginning, not an ending. It is goodbye for you and I, but I will go on to that next great [illegible]. I wonder what’s out there, ‘rond. Do you wonder too? Well, soon I will know.

Do not cry, Elrond. I have lived a good life. I have had children, [illegible] a kingdom and fallen in love. I have had more joy in my five hundred years than some elves have in all their many millennia. So do not weep, brother. I [illegible] not tell you not to mourn, for I know it would be futile, but I will say do not mourn for me. I have lived many happy [illegible], and I am content with this life. Mourn instead of the time we will [illegible], the millennia we will be sundered. But do not mourn overlong, for life is out there and you should live it! Make friends! Learn new things! Fall in love!

Life is always bittersweet, for with joy there must come sorrow. We [illegible] that well, growing up in Beleriand. Anyone can die at any time. It’s a dangerous and [illegible] world, my brother. You never know [illegible] lost and when. So treasure the time you have, and above all, know you are loved. Forgive an old man’s ramblings. There are so many things I wish to tell you and so little time to [illegible]. Do you remember that song Atto would sing to us?

**Remember**

**I will still be here**

**As long as you hold me**

**In your memory**

I will still be here, Elrond. I will [illegible] leave you, not in the ways that matter. I will always be here.

_The rest of the page was so smudged with tears that it could not be transcribed. This scribe was unable to read it in the slightest, as the handwriting of King Elros was already difficult to parse and the tears made it completely illegible. The Gondorian Archives deeply apologizes for this difficult situation._


End file.
